Africa RISING - Facilitation and M&E training

Facilitation, Coordination and M&E of Innovation Platforms Training Workshop

4-6 September 2014
Addis Ababa, @ILRI Campus

Training Purpose (wider objective)
To agree and initiate the use of approaches, methods and tools for the efficient and sustained functioning of IPs

Specific Objectives and Outputs

Objectives:

To develop facilitation, coordination, monitoring and evaluation capacities of Technical Committee members of Strategic and Operational Innovation Platforms established at Africa RISING sites
To engage participants in reviewing and improving the suggested approaches, methods and tools of IP facilitation, coordination, communication and M&E
To define the roles of IP members in undertaking the different activities of IPs
To develop peer support mechanisms for the IPs

Outputs

Approaches/methods/ tools for improving communication, facilitation and M&E for use by IPs at woreda and kebele level agreed
Information/tools for IP monitoring and evaluation agreed and processes established for data collection
IP roles and responsibilities identified and documented on the wiki
Nomination and selection of individuals/champions for communication, facilitation and M&E activities
Training material made available for participants on CD and documented on AR wiki

Agenda
Thursday 4 September

08.30: Registration
09.00: Welcome (Alan) and workshop introduction (Tigist)
09.20: Self introduction excercise (Zelalem)
09.40: Baseline exercise for the training evaluation - (Elias)
10:00: Brief introduction to the training, presentation (Jim)
10.30: Team break
11.45: IP recap and progress to date- presentation and group work (Jim)
11:50: Introduction to facilitation (Zelalem)
12.10: Innovation Platform Coordination, presentation Q&A (Jim)
12.30: Coordination-IP guideline for CG partners, group work (Zelalem)
12:30: Lunch break
1:30: IP Term of reference (TOR) presentation and Q&A (Jim)
2:20 Feedback on TOR and agreements on the approach, presentation and group work (Jim)
2:55: Facilitation of IPs, presentation and Q&A (Zelalem)
3:00 Tea break
3:00 – 4:30 Engagement on facilitation, group work (Zelalem)
- What does a good facilitator look like? Or do?
- Challenges in facilitation and solution?
- What is critical in facilitating IP meetings?
- What do you need as a TG?
4:30- 4:50: Report back from group work
5:00: Close, (mood-o-meter (Tgist)

Friday 5 September

08:30 - 08:35: Recap of day 1, report back by (Endemehoni Worda group)
08:35 - 09:40: Skills required by facilitators, presentation and Q&A (Zelalem)
09:40 - 10:00: Linking farmer research group with IP’s (Jim)
10:00 – 10:30: Importance of good Communication and tools for IPs, presentation and role play (Zelalem)
10:30 – 11:00: Tea break
11:00 – 12:30: Market place and selection of appropriate comms tools (Tsehay , Tigist)
12:30 – 1:30: Lunch break
01:30 – 01:50: Result of market place feedback will be presented (Zelalem)
01:50 – 02:20: Theory of change (recap) and key assumptions- Presentation (Jim)
02:20 – 02:50: IP Monitoring and Evaluation, presentation Q&A (Elias)
02:50 – 03:00: Individual feedback on actors role (Elias)
03:00 – 03:30: IP Monitoring and Evaluation, Tools and indicators, Presentation Q&A (Elias)
03:30 – 03:50: Tea break
03:50 - 04:50 IP Monitoring and Evaluation group work (world café) – (Elias)/Tsehay
04:50 – 05:00 Close - Mood-o-meter

Saturday 6 September

08:30 - 08:35: Recap of day 2, report back by (Lemo Worda group)
08:35 - 09:05: IP Monitoring and Evaluation presentation by topic owners
09:05 - 09:25: Africa RISING Monitoring and Evaluation - Impact and Outcome levels , presentation (Elias)
09:25 – 10:45: Introduction - Most Significant Change stories (MSC) and role play (Elias)
10:45 – 11:15: Tea break
11:15 - 11:25: Introduction on Peer Support Process, presentation (Jim)
11:25 - 12:25: Exercise on Peer Support Process, Troika Consultation (Zelalem)
12:25 - 12:35: Plenary discussion and agreement on process (Elias)
12:35 - 1:35: Lunch Break
1:35 - 2:05: Potential Value Chain Interventions, Presentation, Q&A (Dirk Hoekstra)
2:05 - 3:15: The next 12 months, Learning Cycle, Key IP activities and events (Jim)
3:15 - 3:45: Tea break
3:45 - 4:00 - Post Training Evaluation
4:00 - 4:45 - Reflections, Closing Remarks and Awarding of Certificates
4:45 - 05:00 - Closure

Organizers are:

ILRI	Ag4D
Zelalem Lema Elias Damtew Tigist Endeshaw Simret Yasabu Ewen Le Borgne Tsehay Gashaw	Ellis-Jones Jim

Main Topics of the training and materials are:
1. Facilitation of IPs and tools
**Facilitation of local Innovation Platforms (training material for technical group members)**
2. Coordination of IPs
Guideline for Africa RISING CG partners on IP function, coordination and communication
3. Communication tools for IPs
Communication tools for local level IPs
4. Suggested Content for IP M&E

5. Training Report
IP Facilitation and M&E Training Report

Introduction about AR- a brief introduction about the program, its action research objectives and outcomes

Innovation Platforms in the context Africa RISING (R4D platforms) ;
- What is IP in the context of AR?
- IP in different hierarchal levels
- Expected Roles of IPs in AR project;

Rationale for M&E of IPs-
- What is participatory IP Monitoring and evaluation?
- Why we monitor and evaluate IPs?
- Steps in IP monitoring and evaluation

Indicators, tools and feedback mechanisms for IP M&E- Performance indicators at establishment, process and outcome phases of IPs; data collection tools and analysis/reporting and regular feedback mechanisms to the IPs on gaps/lessons

Roles and responsibilities: - responsibilities of ILRI and IFPRI researchers, IP champions, site coordinators, IP TG members.

Communication mechanisms:- How frequently and when partners communicate? What communication tools will be used to exchange information both in the monitoring process and feedback mechanisms?